1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to aeronautics and more particularly to trailing devices used on aircraft. Even more particularly, the invention relates to a system and apparatus in which a decoy stored on the aircraft is rapidly deployed for protecting the aircraft and is subsequently retrievable back into the aircraft, ready for subsequent deployment.
2. Background Information
Aerial towed objects are used for a variety of purposes, including decoys, testing, and scientific investigations. In one embodiment, a towed decoy is used to draw various types of guided weapons, such as missiles, away from an aircraft that the weapons are intended to destroy. These towed targets and decoys contain various types of electronic circuits to create an apparent target to a weapon which attracts the weapon to the decoy rather than the aircraft. These types of decoys include devices which counter infrared guided and radar guided missiles that pose the primary threats to military aircraft engaged in a combat environment. It will be appreciated that these missiles use their radar guidance systems to get within striking distance of the aircraft, thereby substantially increasing their probability that the system on the missile will be able to lock onto the target.
Current military aircraft are vulnerable to attack from surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. Statistical data on aircraft losses in hostile actions since 1980 show that almost 90 percent of these losses have been the result of missile attacks. As a result, the ability to deploy decoys that can counter guidance systems on these missiles is of great value to protect aircraft during combat situations. To do this, the missile is deflected away by generating a signal that causes the radar guidance system in the missile to think that the target is actually elsewhere than it actually is.
As the complexity and cost of bodies deployed and towed from various aircraft increases, it becomes increasingly desirable to be able to retrieve them for reuse, while not losing the fast deployment capability that currently exists with non-retrievable deployment systems. The current invention retains the existing fast deployment capability while enabling retrieval and reuse.
The growth of fast deploy/retrievable technology requires a change in the maintenance philosophy of the system. This change requires that any mechanism used for the deployment, tow and retraction of the body be completely recoverable, ensuring that the body resume it's original pre-deployed state within it's housing. The existing approach of pyrotechnic launch and sever is no longer appropriate. The existing approach of an ejecting aft weather shield is no longer appropriate. The existing approach of blind mating connectors to facilitate rapid stores replacement is no longer worth the cost and reduced reliability.
The slow speed capability of some craft creates the need for a means of severing the towed body with little or no tension on the towline. The existing pyrotechnic approach becomes less reliable as the tension on the cable is decreased.
There are also existing devices employing spring loaded booms to help control the separation phase of deployment. However, none are known that use spring loaded fins to accomplish a share of the energy storage.
In one prior art method to fast deploy, a towed body uses a solenoid braking system. This process is not recoverable and no retrieval mechanism is available. Another prior art fast deploy launch approach uses a pyrotechnic. The existing sever approach uses a pyrotechnic. The existing weather protection approach uses an ejecting aft weather shield. These approaches are not recoverable and require service to the assembly before subsequent deployments. The existing connection approach uses blind mating connectors to facilitate rapid stores replacement. This approach is costly and unreliable and is no longer required.